From Earth to Heaven: A Second Journey
by truenarnian
Summary: Our favorite royal couple is back: literally. When Peter, Sophie, and their families are called back into Narnia, at once they feel back at home. But loyalties will be tested, love will be put on the line, and all of Narnia will be at stake if the Kings and Queens of Old fail. Will Narnia be saved, or will it fall?
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1- A Glimmer of Adventure in a Tunnel of Darkness- Literally  
"Susan, how can you stand to read all these?" I asked, shoving the fashion magazine back on its shelf.

"Well, I actually am a girl!" she retorted, returning to her latest tabloid. I rolled my eyes and chuckled. We always say that I'm more guy than girl. It's not even a joke anymore, it's a fact!

"We", of course, meant our little family. Benjamin is my little brother through thick and thin. He's fourteen now, along with Lucy, his childhood sweetheart, and a sweetheart all around. She was the little sister I never had. Edmund was Lucy's older brother. He's my partner in crime, should we need to disturb the waters with a little hi-jinx. Susan's my best friend and Edmund and Lucy's older sister, who helps a lot with girl stuff. Lucy, Edmund, and Susan have an older brother, one whom I have pledged myself to until the end of time, whom has loved me for nearly eleven years. Peter Pevensie.

My hand crawled up my neck and idly played with the silver chain that hung there. Little did my mother know, my wedding ring hung beneath my school uniform. It was kind of sad that we have to go to separate schools, just because one of them isn't co-ed. Yeah, Sue, Lu and I were going to one, Ben, Ed, and Pete to another. Luckily, they were right next to each other, and we'd see each other often. The six of us had grown inseparable when we ruled Narnia, and we're not growing apart, no matter what. Those days were the best, when I was Warrior Queen Sophie the Strong. But honestly, so long as I'm with my family, I'm happy.

Getting bored of just standing around and looking at celebrities, I walked back to the metro to see everyone else. I quickly crossed the road, ran down the stairs, and started to make my way to our platform. When I saw Pete's yellow head, I raised my hand in greeting, but it was seized by another guy around my age.

"'ello, lass. Why don't you come along wiv me? I can show you a good time!" I tried to wrench my wrist from his, but he was too strong, and I was pretty sure his grip was giving me a bruise. His putrid breath clogged my nostrils as he said, "Don't struggle, love. It'll on'y be worse for you."

"Let go of me!" I yelled, finally stomping on his foot to get free. Before I could actually use a few good punches, a strong hand turned his shoulder around, and an accompanying fist slammed into his face, Peter looking mad as a provoked bull. My attacker was sent reeling back, but a few of his scumbag buddies were soon upon us. I was cornered by both him and his second-in-command, who backed me into a wall. He socked me in the stomach, and I doubled over in pain, Peter's worried shouts ringing in my ears. I tried to fight back, but without a weapon, I couldn't fight two meatheads at once! He grabbed my arm and threateningly whispered, "Now that your little boyfriend is out of the way, why don't we try again? And this time, make sure you answer right."

Deciding that now wasn't the time to hold back, I pulled out all the stops. I brought my kneecap right to where the sun won't shine, and he doubled over. I thrust my elbow into his forehead, and I'm pretty sure I heard an echo. His buddy decided to take action, but I knocked the breath out of him with a few quick, powerful punches to the chest. Suddenly, the first guy was back up, and he pinned me to the dirty tiled wall. I couldn't do anything.

"One more chance, love. One more, and then I won't give you a choice. Now love, is it yes, or is it no?"

"Get your hands off my girlfriend!" Peter shouted. He tore the guy off me, and continued to fight the maybe three other guys. As he punched in front of me, I tried to help from behind him, kicking and hitting where I could. Pete had slammed into me, and I was forced to the ground. Just when I thought we were done for, shrill whistling pierced the air, and two uniformed constables pushed their way through the scuffle and broke it up.

"Act your age!" one snarled to them. The other quickly helped me up from where I had slumped against the floor and asked if I was okay. After profuse assurances I was, I limped back to where the others sat on a low bench. Pete was pacing back and forth, pounding the wall with his fist. His face grew horrified when he saw me, arms bruised, twisted ankle, short of breath. I collapsed into his arms, gladly accepting the support. He gingerly held me, as if I was a fragile porcelain doll. We held each other like we couldn't bear to ever be separated. We stood in the middle of the station and stayed silent, clinging to each other for support.

"I-I'm so sorry," he whispered, and I heard the regret in his voice.

I looked up at him, wondering what he meant. "Pete, you saved me from getting raped. Why are you sorry?"

"I was a High King once, I should have been able to protect you better!" Angry, he let go of me and began pacing again.

Susan said, "I think it's time to accept that we live here now. We haven't gone back for a year."

Now, I was getting angry. "Sue, we're going to go back! We have to!" I angrily stood up and pounded the wall, as if it would let us through. I sat down, because my ankle sent shooting pains up my leg. Concerned, Peter sat by me and threw an arm around me, where I leaned into his shoulder.

Suddenly, Ben stood up. "Hey, who poked me?"

"Ow! Someone pinched me!" Lucy exclaimed, standing up. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pinch, and I shot up in alarm.

"Who did that?" I interrogated, trying to feel if it was still there.

"It's magic!" Lucy yelped, and Ed, Pete, and Sue quickly stood. Suddenly, a gale picked up in the tunnel, even though the train was only crawling by. Could this be...?


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2- Homecoming  
"Everyone hold hands!" Pete ordered over the gust of wind. Everyone clasped hands quickly, and thank Aslan they did when they did. The train picked up speed and barreled past us, the accompanying wind sucking in tunnel debris, including-wait, was that a ceiling tile?

As the train reached higher and higher speeds, the blurred windows allowed us flashes of impossible sunlight. I squinted into the wind, and I could make out almost a beach. The ground became softer beneath my feet, and I could distinctly smell salt in the air. Suddenly, the train hurtled itself into pure sunlight, our eyes not adjusted yet. Once we regained our vision, we found ourselves in a cave. I loosened the tie around my neck; it was warm here.

We tentatively stepped out of the cavern and onto a beautiful beach. Sue, Lu and I glanced at each other for one minute, then took off along the sand, pulling off jackets, shoes, socks, ties, anything that would burden us. Our laughs sounded to each end of the coastline, and I could hear the guys following us. We all dove into the waves, absolutely over the moon that we were back.

We splashed around for a minute in the waves when I felt two arms grab my waist and pull me under the green-blue water. A little alarmed, I whirled around (or whatever whirling around underwater is) to come face to face with the man I loved, humor in his eyes. Overcome with happiness, I kissed him below the waves, streams of bubbles floating up to the surface world. Once we had floated up and gulped down oxygen above the waves, I realized that my injuries were gone. I was able to swim well, despite the supposed twisted ankle I had just received. My arms were no longer black and blue. Feeling mischievous, I splashed Pete and tried to swim away, but he caught me, and we tumbled in the water a little. Soon enough, Ben joined in, pretending to "defend" me, and by the time we admitted to being waterlogged, everyone had joined in the battle.

We were all hiking back to the beach when Ed asked, "Where do you think we are?"

Our intertwined hands swinging between us, Pete answered Ed's question with one of his own. "Where do you think?"

He replied, "I don't remember any ruins in Narnia." Curious, we all looked up the cliff face he was pointing at, and sure enough, there were crumbling remnants of what seemed to be something grand. But when were there any ruins in Narnia? What could _be _ruined like that?

Overcome with curiosity, we started searching for a way to get up. Not long after we began, Ben discovered an old, weather-worn set of stone stairs, carved into the cliff. As we climbed them, a strange sense of nostalgia came over me. The stairs seemed almost familiar, but still alien. We finally reached the top of the cliff, where we saw more crumbling stone walls. It was a melancholy sight, seeing something so grand in such a sad state.

"Who lived here?" Lucy asked, her high voice floating over from what looked like a dead garden.

We were all simply strolling around, trying to figure out where we were, when I came to examine a pile of books, strewn across the stone floor. I was bending down to investigate when I heard Susan say, "I think we did."

That's why the titles looked so familiar! I picked up a book at random, one that seemed more important than all the others, though I don't know why, where Sue was examining something small and golden, and we had all gathered around her to sneak our own peek.

Ed said, "Hey that's mine! It's from my chess set!"

"Which one?" asked Pete.

"Well, I didn't have a solid gold chess set in Finchley, did I?"

"My Aslan!" Lucy shrieked, grabbing my hand and leading me to the northern part of the ruins. "Soph, stand over there, on the right. Ben, over on her left!" She directed us to certain places, where we stood, slightly confused. Something unlocked a sense of familiarity, and I quickly looked down at the book I was holding. I brushed away some dust, and I read the title.

"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," I said quietly. Memories flooded me; sitting in this spot, in a throne, reading this memoir. It chronicled their rise to power, and I had written it as an anniversary present to Peter. I was suddenly overcome with a sense of nostalgia when I realized truly what this place was.

I took off and they ran behind me, wondering what I was up to. I reached the easternmost point of the ruins, where I started placing the four siblings in their old spots.

Lucy, getting my idea, said, "Now imagine walls...and columns there...and a glass roof." Comprehension dawned on their faces as Peter almost whispered, "Cair Paraval."

"So that other part...was the Warrior's Wing? Of course! _That's _why it felt so familiar!" Ben exclaimed. "But wait...what happened to it?"

"Catapults," Ed answered, from way over on the east border.

"What do you mean?" Sue asked.

"This didn't just happen-Cair Paraval was attacked!"

Lucy, or Queen Lucy the Valiant now, asked, "Who would do something like this?" She seemed near tears. Ed returned and, along with Ben, hugged the girl. The comfort of those two was something she found invaluable.

"Before we find out," I said, striding over to where our armory used to be, "we should arm ourselves. Narnia seems to be more dangerous than when we left. Ed just said that someone attacked Cair Paraval, for Aslan's sake! We should be able to defend ourselves, shouldn't we?"

Curious, the others followed, but Susan asked, "Alright, but where would we get weapons? There's nothing but stone here!"

Ben caught my drift and rushed up ahead of me and said, "Not exactly!"

As the others drew level with us, I explained, "We kept a spare cellar of stuff under our real one; it might still be there!" We came upon the old armory; now it was nothing more than a pile of rubble and a stone foundation. I walked to a nearly-intact wall, overgrown with vines, and tried to push the stone out of the way. Pete came over quickly to help me, and we soon pushed the great marble slab away, to reveal a rotting wooden door. Peter kicked it in, and all that was revealed was darkness. Thinking quickly, Pete began tearing the hem of his cotton shirt off. We watched, curious, as he took the strip and wrapped it around a short tree branch on the ground.

"Got any matches, anyone?" he asked, holding up his new torch.

"No," Ed answered, smirking. "But what about this?" With a flourish, he pulled his new flashlight (or torch, as they say in England) and flashed it in his face.

"You might have mentioned that a bit sooner!" Incredulous, Peter dropped the branch and took the flashlight. After making sure there was enough battery left, he handed it to me, and I led the way down the stairs, to our secret armory.

After a minute, we came to the old stone chamber. The room seemed to glow on its own, so I shut the light off and handed it back to Ed. The room seemed untouched by the elements, perfect and grand. There were six alcoves in the wall, each of which housed a statue of one of us. At their feet were big trunks, with our titles carved into them.

Squealing with joy, we girls ran down to our trunks, eager to rediscover our old treasures. The girls were running for their dresses; all I wanted was a weapon. I lifted the trunk, with a little difficulty due to the rusty hinges, but everything was there; my bow, arrows, crown, and all of my old Narnian robes. I was digging down, looking for the clothes I had worn when I had helped fight the Giants in the north, when I found a glint of blue and a stream of white.

I dug down deeper, unearthing artifacts from earlier and earlier in my reign, when I finally found it; my wedding dress and engagement ring. I wildly grasped at them, and then brought them up to the surface. It was still the same. I slipped the engagement ring on my finger; it was loose.

Peter's arms wound their way around my middle, his chin resting on my head. We were both remembering the days of our marriage; it was bliss. But then, that day we left...

"I used to be so tall!" Lucy exclaimed, holding up one of her dresses.  
"Well, you were older then," Susan explained, digging out her old bow. Pete and I went back to our own chests, where I quickly found my quiver of arrows, unable to be emptied. I slung it around my back, the familiar weight settling, and began looking for the bow to match.

Ed asked, "As opposed to hundreds of years later, when you're younger?" We all shared a laugh as we dug out our belongings.

Susan asked after a moment, "Does anyone have my horn?" After receiving shakes of the head from everyone, she said, "It must have been in my saddlebag when we left."

With a flash of metal, like the one that saved me from the wolf attack so many years ago, we were drawn towards Pete, who had unearthed his old sword.

Solemnly, he recited, "When Aslan bears his teeth, winter meets its death."

A tiny voice continued, "And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again." There Lucy stood, tears in her eyes. Her face growing sadder every second, she said, "Everyone we knew- Mr. Tumnus...the Beavers- gone."

I plucked my age-old bowstring, and it omitted a satisfying twang. Ben slid his swords out of their scabbards, and they reflected the light beautifully. Lucy had one hand each on her dagger and cordial, Susan was clutching her bow like there was no tomorrow, and Ed slipped his sword holster around him. Pete gazed at the sword, remembering old times, when he said, "I think it's time we find out what's going on."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3- Why did this happen?  
Sue, Lu and I made our way back up to the surface ruins, newly robed in green, scarlet, and turquoise dresses, respectively. The boys got back into some of their own Narnian clothing. Everyone was outfitted in their old weapons, familiar grips returning to the matching handles. I was making my way to where the old balcony was, taking in the familiar view. I heard everyone slowly shuffle beside me, wondering what had happened since we were gone.

I scanned the narrow strip of river that emptied into the Eastern Sea, recalling that Pete and I had traveled along this on the journey to our honeymoon destination. As I began to get lost in the memories, I came upon a dark, oval shape in the water. Focusing more, I found that it was a boat, and it was coasting rather precariously, as if someone was struggling inside. I pointed this out to the others, who agreed we should check it out.  
We hurried down the stone steps and out to the riverbed, where we found two dark-headed men holding what looked like a struggling dwarf between them, bound and gagged. My mouth dropped in horror as I realized what they aimed to do.

Instincts taking over, I quickly nocked an arrow, pulled back the bowstring, and let it fly into the bow of the rowboat. Both men looked up in alarm, and by then Susan had followed my lead, holding her loaded bow next to me. As I got another arrow ready, Sue shouted, "Drop him!"

Alarmed, I harshly whispered to her, "Drop him?! Really?!" The two offenders shrugged and tossed the dwarf in the ocean. The three Narnian kings dropped their swords and bolted to the riverbed, trying to rescue the poor creature. I, meanwhile, took advantage of the confusion and began firing at the two men. I successfully hit one in the arm, but I missed the other as he toppled into the water, trying to save his comrade. Sue and I kept firing at them, scaring them away from the guys. Ben and Ed were anchoring the boat to shore as Pete brought the dwarf to the surface. I rushed into the river, up to my knees, and helped get the dwarf to shore. Lucy drew her dagger and quickly cut the gag off his face, allowing him to spit water out and begin scolding us.

"'Drop him'?!" the dwarf shouted in a gravelly voice.

"A simple thank-you would suffice," Susan retorted.

"They were doing fine enough drowning me on their own!"

"Maybe we should have let them," Pete said fiercely. I turned to him worriedly- he was never severe like this.

"Who were they, and why were they trying to drown you?" Lucy innocently asked.

He gruffly replied, "Where have you been the last few hundred years?"

"You might be surprised," I answered as I handed Pete's sword back to him. The dwarf caught sight of the blade and comprehension dawned on his face, not believing it.

"You-you're it, then?" he asked, unable to grasp the truth. "You can't be!"

"Do we need to prove it to you?" Ben taunted. The dwarf, still disbelieving, looked skeptical.

"Oh, you might not want to do that," the dwarf warned as he watched Peter draw his sword again.

"Not me," he replied as he offered the hilt to the dwarf and nodded to Edmund, "him. He'll duel you. He _was_ the most renowned swordsman."

The dwarf almost looked nervous, but then he swung the blade around at Edmund so ferociously it made _me_ nervous. The weapons clashed viciously, blinding us when the sunlight hit them. They were flying so fast it was impossible to see who was gaining the upper hand. Soon enough, the dwarf's blade spun away and landed in the sand. He looked up in awe, accepting the truth.

"What is your name?" I asked, attempting to gain his trust.

"Trumpkin," he answered, somewhat warily.

"Well, Trumpkin, could you tell us what is going on? We've only just arrived; we're in the dark."

"Honestly, Your Majesty, I'm still trying to figure it out. This is going to take a while; might you sit down?"

"Of course." We made our way along the beach to a nice, sunny spot, where we prepared to hear Narnia's falling from peace to chaos. Lucy and Ben lay alongside one another on their bellies, heads resting in their hands. Ed sat cross-legged, sword lying across his lap. Susan was looking like a supermodel, stretched out on the sand, propped up on her elbow. I sat between Pete's legs, back propped up against his chest, his chin resting on my head. Trumpkin stood before us all, preparing to tell us the tragic tale. And so we listened to his account of the Telmarines invading, the Narnians going into hiding or getting killed, and Prince Caspian allying with us. It was shocking to realize that our departure could cause all this. Everyone was sad.

"All this- is our fault?" I asked, incredulous.

"Of course not, love," Pete soothed. "It's the damned Telmarines that did this."

"What can we do now?" asked Ben, rolling up to his knees.

"Well," answered Trumpkin, "we should get you to the How- the Stone Table. We have a much greater chance with you lot."  
Wordlessly, we got up, collected our weapons, and pushed the boat into the river. We quickly boarded- Ben and Lu sitting in the middle, Ed and Sue sharing the next bench, and Peter and I rowing. Trumpkin sat with his back to the bow, staring at us with resolve.

As Pete and I rowed, Lucy's high voice remarked, "The trees...they're so still."

"They're trees, what do you expect?" the dwarf gruffly asked.

"They used to dance," Lucy said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well, when you lot left and the Telmarines attacked, they retreated so far into themselves we haven't seen them since."

"You know, we didn't mean to leave," I said, trying to defend our grievous actions. "It just sort of happened, it was an accident!" Trumpkin only sighed.

"It doesn't make a difference whether or not you left," he said, shaking his head.

At this remark, Pete rowed just a little bit stronger and said, "Get us to the Narnians; I know it will."

Paste your document here...


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4- Tempers Rising  
It was early afternoon when we finally got off the boat. Pete, Sue and I were heaving it up onto shore as the younger siblings helped each other out. Trumpkin was looking around, figuring out which direction we should take next. I heard Lucy say, "Hello there!", even though there was no one on the beach.

After looking a minute, I found the object of her greeting: a humongous grizzly bear. "Lucy," I warned, hoping she'd get the message.

She didn't.

The bear looked up, and she said, "It's okay, I'm a friend." Suddenly, several things happened at once. The bear began charging, Lucy screamed and fell over a log, and Ben quickly rushed to her side and shielded her. By now, Sue and I had our bows loaded, and the guys were screaming, "Shoot! Shoot!" Regretting it, I let an arrow fly.

The strangest thing happened, though. I must have not aimed correctly, because the arrow soared right over the bear's head. I've almost never missed a target, and now is one of the only times I do?!

As I loaded up again, I heard the _whoosh _of another arrow flying past. This one struck the bear, and it soon fell dead. I bolted to the huddling children and met Ben in a hug, thankful that he was alive. Pete held Lucy to him, protecting her from whatever else may come next. I realized that Susan still had her arrow in her bow; so who shot...?

"Trumpkin, thank you!" Ben said, still enveloped in my embrace. We all profusely thanked the dwarf, who still looked grim.

"Why didn't he stop?" Lu asked, fear and sadness in her eyes.

"Narnia may be a more savage place than you remember," Trumpkin replied, as he took his hunting knife and began cutting up sections of meat for further sustenance.

"Why didn't Sophie's arrow hit him? Soph has perfect aim, it should have delivered a lethal blow, but he survived until Trumpkin intervened. She was aiming at his heart, but it flew right over his head!" Ed exclaimed.

"You didn't want to hit the bear, did you?" Ben said. "You thought there was still good in him. I remember Aslan saying that the bow would never miss, but only if you trusted yourself to take the shot."

"That's right," Sue said, "he did say that. Who could trust themselves to kill what they thought was an innocent creature?"

I only held Ben against me, thankful that he and Lucy were safe. After Trumpkin finished wrapping up the bear meat, we ventured to the Great River, which we could cross to get to the How. We kept treading the familiar path, yet the surroundings had changed; different plants, no animals, and a deathly stillness to the air.

We came to the point where there should have been an easy way across. Instead, a huge wall of boulders blocked our path. It towered above us and extended out of view in either direction, a barrier impervious to the elements.

Peter walked right up to the boulder, trying to figure out what happened. He said, "We should have been able to cross here at the River Rush."

"Well, unless I'm mistaken," replied Trumpkin, "there's no crossing in these parts."

"That explains it, then," Pete retorted, venomously. "You're mistaken." He turned and stalked away, leaving the rest of us in stunned silence. After a moment, we began following him again, trying to put the incident behind us. Soon enough, Trumpkin was able to lead us to a huge gorge that apparently used to be a great river. _The _Great River.

Susan began, "You see, water erodes the soil, and after an extended period of time-"

"Oh, shut up," Pete said. What was wrong with him today? We were in Narnia, how is he angry?!

"How do we get across this?" Ben asked, dumbfounded.

"There's a ford, if you're in the mood for swimming," Trumpkin replied grumpily. After a minute of debate, we decided to head there, and we were all turning to go there, when Lucy called out, "Aslan!"

As one, we whipped back around, hoping for help, looking where Lucy was pointing, but...there was nothing there.

"Lucy...I don't see him," I said, much to my own disappointment.

"But he's right-" she swiveled around, only to find nothing- "there."

"Do you see 'im now?" Trumpkin taunted.

"He was there!" Ben said. "I saw him, too!"

"I'm not about to go jumping off a cliff for someone who doesn't exist!"

"I believe you guys," Ed said. "Last time I didn't believe Lucy, I ended up looking pretty stupid."

"Me too," I added, planting my fists on my hips. "If anyone saw Aslan, it was you two."

"I don't know, Lu," Pete said, his face hardening. "If he was there, we would have seen him."

We all stood in tense silence, anger slowly accumulating. Attempting to alleviate the tension, I said, "Why don't we set up camp for the night?" No one objected, so I continued. "Alright then. Ed, Sue, can you guys clear out an area to sleep? Ben, Lu, you help Trumpkin wash the meat and collect water. Peter, come with me and help get firewood." Everyone wordlessly began to accomplish their tasks.

We munched on bear meat for our dinner and sat around the fire, where Trumpkin filled us in on details about Caspian the Tenth. Once we were full and sleepy, we settled down for the night. Sue lay flat on her back, Ed on his stomach, Lu and Ben snuggling together for warmth, Trumpkin propped up on a tree trunk. I had my back on Peter's chest again, his arm wrapping around my torso, something my mother had forbidden since we met in the real world. His fingers idly played with a few locks of my hair as I breathed in his sweet scent, reveling in paradise.

"I love you, Sophie," he whispered into my hair.

"I love you too, Peter."


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5- Preparations  
I awoke the next morning. I still felt Pete's body heat around me. My eyelids lazily blinked open, taking in the bright morning sun, the lush green forest, the Narnian air, my adopted family...wait a minute, something's not right.

Propping myself on an elbow, I surveyed the little clearing. Sue was on her side, Ed splayed on his belly, Ben curled up in a ball, Trumpkin ramrod straight on his back...where was Lucy?

I shot up, fully alert now. Nothing like a cold dose of panic to wake you up in the morning. Pete stirred beside me, asking why I was rushing in slurred words. I quickly slung my silver quiver around my shoulders and retrieved my bow, trying to rouse my boyfriend and explain that Lucy was gone and we had to find her quickly. Finally understanding, he bolted up, belted his sword around him, and rushed to my side, where I had fitted an arrow onto my bow. We rushed off, quietly flying through the forest, searching for the little girl with the dagger, magical medicine, and bravest heart of all.

We just reached the top of a ridge, half-hidden by trees, when we were briefly petrified- Lucy was a few yards away, waving to a Minotaur, who thankfully didn't see her. I quietly rushed to her and covered her mouth right when she was about to call out. We ducked behind a bush, where I conveyed the need of silence to her after she realized she wasn't being kidnapped. With bated breath, we watched Pete slowly stalk forward, sword held at the ready. Out of nowhere, someone with long dark hair jumped at Pete, and they began to parry. Lu and I were frozen with shock as we watched the flashing blades. When Pete was about to smash a rock over his challenger's head, it clicked that we had to help him, so we shouted out, "Stop it!"

They both looked at us, standing on the hill, seemingly jerked out of another world. The challenger had chin-length black hair, really tan skin, and dark eyes. He wore Telmarine armor, and that, combined with his estimated age, made it click in my head.

"You must be Prince Caspian," I said, walking forward with Lucy under my arm. We heard a rustle, and we looked to the hill. Ed, Ben, Sue and Trumpkin rushed down to us, then stopped short, intimidated by the masses of Narnians now presenting themselves to us. Fauns, centaurs, Minotaurs...Narnia was alive once again.

"You...you are the Kings and Queens of Old?" Prince Caspian said, in a Telmarine accent. His dark eyes drifted over all of us, but seemed to linger on Susan. "I beg your pardon; we thought you would be older."

"Well, we could come back in a few years, if you'd like," Pete said, turning away.

"No!" Caspian said, eyes landing on Susan again. "You're just...not what we expected."

"Neither are you," Ed said, eyeing the Minotaur warily.

"I've taken the liberty of gathering your army, sire," said a two-foot-tall mouse wearing a very short rapier and a feather on his ear.

"Oh my gosh, he's so cute," Lucy whispered to me.

"Who said that?!" the mouse challenged, and his eyes landed on our bent heads. "Forgive me, Your Majesties, but I believe chivalrous, courteous, or courageous might be better applied to me. My name is Reepicheep, so please your Graces."

"You might need your sword back," Caspian said to Peter, offering the hilt in his direction.

Pete took it and said, "It looks like we'll need as many as possible."

*****  
The How we've been hearing talk of didn't truly capture the daunting feeling of it. It was a huge mound of earth that rose empirically out of the ground, a courtyard and cobblestone path leading into it. Caspian led us to the beginning of the road, where he let the six of us retreat into the dome as Kings and Queens, once again.

"Look at these," I muttered, awed at the sight of murals depicting our rise to power. There was a girl under a lamppost with a faun, three kids and two beavers trekking through the snow, one kid chained up to a tree, a huge battle scene, and four kids standing next to their thrones on one side. On the other wall was the wolf attack, our training, the Duels at Glasswater, and Ben and I standing near our thrones. Here were our histories- here were our destinies.

"This way," Caspian said, torch held high above him. The corridor emptied into a round room, the northernmost wall displaying a huge carving of Aslan. The torches along the wall lit the cavern, which held one of the most important places in Narnia: the cracked Stone Table. I've seen the Table before and have been told of what happened here. I was awed.

"I think it's up to us now," Pete said, ominously.

*****  
We had been at the Stone Table for two hours, discussing which would be better: attacking the Telmarine castle or waiting for them to attack first. Everyone was growing weary of the debate, both sides believing they were right.

I argued, "It's only a matter of time until Miraz's men and war machines get here, which means that those same men aren't guarding the castle."

"What do you propose we do, my King?" asked Kiervan, the centaur general. Both Caspian and Pete spoke at the same time, quickly followed by a stony glare, then Caspian giving a nod, inviting my husband to speak.

Peter said, "Our only hope is to strike them before they strike us."

"You can't be serious," Caspian countered. "The castle has never been taken!"

"There's always a first time," I stated, resolute.

"But we have the advantage here!" Ben retorted.

"There's always the element of surprise," I suggested.

"If we dig in, we could probably hold them off indefinitely," Susan said, striding to Caspian's side.

"I, for one, feel safer underground," a badger agreed.

Pete stated, "Look, I appreciate what you've done here, but this isn't a fortress, it's a tomb."

"Exactly!" Ed exclaimed. "If the Telmarines were smart, they'd just wait and starve us out."

"Fortunately," Ben said, "they're not. Only proud."

"We could collect nuts!" an overexcited squirrel suggested.

"Yes!" Reepicheep sarcastically agreed. "And throw them at the Telmarines!"

Kiervan said, "I think you know where we stand, sire."

Peter asked, "If I get your troops in, could you handle the guards?"

"Or die trying, my liege."

"That's what I'm worried about," Lucy said as she lounged on the Table, resigned. "You're acting like there's only two choices- dying here, or dying there."

Pete said, "I'm not sure if you've been listening-"

"No, you're not listening!" Lu retorted. "Or have you forgotten who really defeated the White Witch and banished the Shadowman?"

"We've waited for Aslan long enough," Peter said, resolutely wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me into his side. I soaked in his warmth gratefully and silently apologized to Lucy for his actions, hoping that our plan of attack would be enough.

*****  
I tightened my quiver's strap around my shoulder, staring into the sunset. The Narnian sun was amazing, way better than ours. I heard footsteps behind me, and I turned to see Peter, an apprehensive look on his face.

"Hey," I meekly greeted as we strode toward each other. Happiness washed his face of any worry, and he enveloped me in his strong arms as I reached up on tiptoe and threw my own around his neck, his face pushing into my hair. We held each other for a few silent moments, standing in the middle of my small chamber, and then he said, "Sophie, I love you. Always remember that."

"Pete, I married you. How can I possibly forget?"

He gave a sigh and said, "This will be the most difficult battle we've ever been in. If I die, I want you to remember me."

I looked up at him, amazed at his love for me. "Peter, I promise that I will always remember you."

"And I promise I will never forget you, Sophie. Never."


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6- Ninja skills: activated  
The wind blew in my face as I took in the Narnian countryside at night, from a bird's- or in this case, griffin's- eye view. We had the best plan of attack I've ever seen- infiltrate the castle and bring the warriors inside. Ed had signaled to us that it was safe, using his flashlight, and Pete, Sue, Caspian and I were flying to bring the troops in. Lucy and Ben were still at the How. As the griffins swooped closer to the castle, Caspian dislodged himself from his griffin, hanging only by one claw, and slicing the head off a sentry. He glanced at Sue, who looked impressed. What was going on with them?

When we were close enough to the walkway, the griffin dropped me, and I landed in a semi-graceful crouch. The others landed beside me, and I strung an arrow up, ready to kill whatever came my way. I waited for the others to get their bearings, and we rushed first to free Dr. Cornelius, Caspian's beloved mentor. The dark-haired prince led us to his teacher's outside window, where we tried to rappel down to the sill. Caspian rappelled down first, pulling the window open, quickly followed by Pete. I saw Caspian and Pete disappear inside, which I took as my cue to drop down. I gripped the rope and shimmied to the sill, expertly swooping into the window. I ventured into the study a bit, Sue dropping behind me, realizing that it had been ransacked, very violently.

"Alright, then," I said in a low voice. "He's not here."

"Gee, what was your first clue?" Susan asked, sarcastic. She was still bitter about the attack. I rolled my eyes in response.

"We need to split up now," Caspian said.

"Right," Pete confirmed. "Soph and Caspian, you go down to the dungeons, see if you can find Cornelius. Sue, you and I'll look in the towers for him, alright?"

We gave either a solemn nod or a mumbled confirmation, and we went out into the hall. Just before we went our separate ways, Pete and I drew close and kissed, his arm winding around my waist, my own hand reaching up and holding the back of his head. Our eyes closed as our lips pressed together, hoping fervently that this wouldn't be the last time we saw each other. After a few seconds, we separated and stepped away from each other, feeling apprehensive.

"I better see you later," I said, something I said every time we went into battle separately.

Half-smiling, he said, "You can bet Aslan on that."

*****  
Caspian led us deeper and deeper into the catacombs of the castle, our feet barely causing a whisper as we swept across the stone floors. We were rushing when Caspian suddenly stopped and quickly drew back into a corner, grabbing my arm and taking me with him. I was about to shout, indignant, when I saw the cause of his actions: an alert guard standing near the entrance to the cells- and the keys jangled at his hip.

"Fantastic," I whispered, resting my head against the wall. "He couldn't be asleep? Really?"

"We need to figure out how to get past him," he said in his pronounced accent. "Any ideas?"

"We could kill him," I said. Did that seem cruel? Maybe. But you don't understand how cruel Telmarines are. They took over Narnia and ruled it with an iron fist, forcing good Narnians into hiding as if they were convicts. They were troublemakers even when we ruled in the Golden Age! While I'm convinced Caspian and his father were good people, I can't hide my distaste for the general population. I'd avenge the Narnians any way I could.

"We should leave as little a trail as possible," Caspian answered, glancing around the corner to get a better look at the guard. "We could knock him out."

"Agreed," I said. I shrugged my quiver off, gripped the arrows like a bouquet so they wouldn't fall out, and stepped across Caspian to peer at the prison guard. Once the guard had turned to face the other direction, I quickly stepped around the corner and hit the unfortunate man squarely on the back of the head, much to Caspian's astonishment. The man gave a groan and slumped to the ground, and I quickly stole the keys from his belt as Caspian kept a lookout. "Got 'em," I said once I finally freed the key ring, straightened up, and slung my quiver back across my shoulders. We began jogging down the row of so far, empty cells. Suddenly, Caspian gave an anguished cry and dove to one of the cells, the first and only cell that was occupied. I jammed each key on the brass ring into the keyhole, finally unlocking the door and tossing Caspian the keys so he could free the man inside of his handcuffs. I guarded the hall in case anyone else came in. Soon enough, the three of us were rushing down the hall again, climbing up stairs, and hurriedly leaving the prison.

We burst out into the courtyard, where Dr. Cornelius bent over, panting, and Caspian said, "I'll go tell the others that we found him. Can you make sure King Edmund's ready with the doctor's griffin and get him out of the castle safely?"

I nodded vigorously. "I'll find everyone later. Come with me, Dr. Cornelius." I gestured to the stout man to follow me, and we rushed to the southeastern tower, where Ed was stationed.

As we ran up the stairs, the doctor asked, "Are you one of the Kings and Queens of Old?"

I half-smiled. "Yeah, I am."

"Warrior Queen Sophie the Strong, I presume? I read that the Warrior Siblings had a dialect even stranger than the Original Kings' and Queens'." Was my Pennsylvanian-American accent _still_ that noticeable?

"Sounds about right," I said as I broke open the last door standing in our way. There stood Ed with his back to us, hand gripping his still-sheathed sword. When he heard the noise, he spun around and drew his blade, but quickly lowered it when he saw me.

"Soph!" he whisper-shouted. "Don't scare me like that! Who's this?"

"Dr. Cornelius," I said as I pulled the man across the tower and to a waiting griffin, my good friend Saberius. "Saberius, can you take him back to the How safely?"

"Of course, my Queen," he said, crouching low so Cornelius could climb on his back.

"Your Highness!" the doctor called, just as Saberius was about to take flight. "I never properly thanked you."

"Thank me when we get out of here," I said, turning back and rushing down the stairs, to rejoin my comrades.

*****  
I was rushing from tower to tower, searching for Caspian, Susan, or Peter. I was looking behind me, making sure I wasn't getting followed, when I ran into a hard body. We collided and were thrown back from each other. The wind was knocked out of me, but I scrambled back to my feet, dazed. I quickly brandished one of the sharpened tips of my bow, which clashed with the tip of a sword. In the sparks, I noticed that my attacker was Pete.

"Sorry," I said after a second of shocked silence, lowering my bow back to my side. Pete lowered his sword, and I saw Sue and Caspian watching from behind. Happy that I really didn't have to kill, I chuckled a bit, and Pete followed suit. Suddenly, we remembered why we _were_ about to attack each other, causing resolute expressions to take over all of our faces. Nodding grimly, Peter led everyone down to the courtyard, to carry out the next phase of attack: bring the rest of the Narnians inside.

"Peter!" Sue exclaimed as he rushed over to the wheel that would pull the gate up. "Half the castle's already woken up- we should get out of here!"

"We can still try!" he retorted, and the rest of us had no choice but to help with the wheel. Slowly, the huge gate rose, and our troops flooded inside, trying to gain the upper hand against the Telmarine archers. Fighting my way through the onslaught, I got to the stairs of a different tower, and I ran up them, attempting to carry out my mission: find high ground and take out the archers. I was the best shot of the six of us; we had already made the choice without knowing the question. I made my way up to one of the rows of archers and leaned against the heavy wooden door separating us, panting heavily.

Once I caught my breath again, I strung up an arrow, quietly uttered a prayer to Aslan, took one last deep breath, and shouldered the door open, ready to face whatever lay before me.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7- Tempers Flare

Peter

I angrily sliced the head off another Telmarine soldier, causing two more to take his place. I struggled against them too, catching one in the neck and the other in the heart. As they fell, I took advantage of the brief hiatus and watched my love, my life, my _wife _Sophie eliminate the archers, one by one. They fell like dominoes, progressing down the line, never seeing what hit them. About halfway down the row, they began realizing that something was up, and some focused their attention on the vicious vixen, trying to eliminate the source of unrest. They soon turned their crossbows on Sophie, and her expression went from growing triumph to fearful horror, and she quickly backpedaled into the tower again, slamming the door. Satisfied that she was safe, I looked around me, evaluating the status of the battle. It wasn't going well.

There were too many Narnians dead on the ground, reduced to nothing but shells of their former selves. Telmarine soldiers swarmed the place, easily outnumbering our army. It was a sea of blood and bodies, with too many Narnians leaving for Aslan's country.

I called out, "Retreat! Fall back! Retreat!" in hopes of saving a few precious lives. I didn't want to admit it, but Caspian and Sue were right about staying at the How. We never had a chance. And tonight, we had lost.

Sophie

I was just barely recuperating from an arrow fired deep in between my ribs. I had pulled the blood-soaked projectile out, causing a stream of blood to trickle down my dress, when one of the burlier guards broke the door down. He charged me, and I, not having time to draw an arrow, defended myself with the bow. We struggled for a moment, the edge of his blade pressing across my ribs at one time, until I successfully cut a vein in his neck. As a last stand before he died, he grabbed my neck and dragged me down another hall, through a door, and out onto a balcony. I sunk my nails into his fingers as I gasped for breath, causing him to bleed, too, but that didn't stop him. He pulled me over the turrets and dangled me over the courtyard, my legs furiously kicking the whole time, my eyes silently pleading to him to not do this. I had to get back to Ben and Peter. With one last, murderous gleam in his eye, his fingers released their grip, and I fell three stories, hurtling to pain.

My eyes had closed, not wanting to see my impact. When I was sure I would die, I felt two strong, warm arms catch me, a familiar scent calming me. My eyelids cracked open, and I saw Peter, relieved.

Exalted that I wasn't dying, I just threw my arms around him in a firm embrace, which he returned. As he set me upright, he said frantically, "We're retreating, there's too many. We have to go, now!" We separated, only to notice my wound, my blood now on Pete's shirt. "My Aslan! We need Lucy's cordial, now! We must hurry!" I only nodded, agreeing. I would have fought a little more, but the cut was beginning to sting.

We clasped hands and ran through the fray, weapons raised. Actually, Pete was the runner; I was closer to stumbling than running, my injury hindering me. Dazed, my husband led me to Balter, a dark brown horse that I was good friends with. Peter helped me as I struggled onto Balter's back, who worriedly whinnied and tossed his mane. I weakly held onto the horse's thick neck, and he began to gallop, Pete running along the side. In one last attempt to help the Narnians, I reached down, grasped their leader's wrist, and hauled him up onto the horse as we galloped to the gate, shooting the Minotaur, Fortis, a grateful glance. We had just ridden out of the castle and were approaching the drawbridge when we heard a great slam.

Fortis's strength had given out, and he collapsed under the gate's weight, trapping the other living half of the Narnians inside. Balter had stopped, and all three of us turned to look back. We saw Kiervan's son, Asil, trapped inside, and he gave a noble nod, telling us to go on.

"Peter! Sophie!" Susan yelled. Our heads whipped around to see everyone's bottom half disappearing because of the rising drawbridge, obscuring our view. Without a word, Pete and I braced ourselves against each other as Balter began to gallop hard. He bolted up the drawbridge-turned-ramp and leaped of the edge, my breath catching in my throat, my brown hair flying off my shoulders. I could feel Peter using his body to protect me more, the side of his face pressing into mine over my shoulder and grip one of my forearms as we flew through the air. Balter landed on the opposite side of the bridge, nearly collapsing from our weight and his own momentum. I glimpsed everyone else already bounding across the long stone walkway that led to the forest, but I barely registered what that meant before Balter started galloping, too. I tried to keep hold of the reins, but my hands were too clumsy, affected by blood loss. Luckily, Pete eventually gripped the reins, enclosing me in his strong arms. I tried counting the survivors of the battle, but my vision was beginning to blur, and I couldn't think straight I was so addlepated (confused.) Through the windstorm of thoughts, I could distinguish only one thing: I was pretty much useless. I could do nothing but look ahead and fight passing out.

I was about to fall asleep, just at daybreak, when the How was sighted. Peter and Caspian didn't speak to each other, and barely at all to anyone else. Pete had to wrap an arm around my stomach to avoid me falling from Balter's back. My condition had worsened overnight, but I eventually staunched the bleeding with bits of cloth from my dress. Once the How was in sight, Pete slipped off the horse and asked Edmund to lead me along, and to make sure I didn't fall off. He stalked off, angry, leaving Ed, Balter, and I to make our own way back. I was pretty much sleeping on Balter's back, who thankfully didn't mind. As we drew nearer, I heard a confrontation go down between the High King and the Prince.

"I'm not the one who abandoned Narnia!" I recognized Caspian's heavy accent.

"I'm not the one who invaded it!" my husband spat back. "You Telmarines were never good. You're all the same; you, Miraz, your father."

By now, the three of us were close enough to see the action. As soon as Peter trashed Caspian's dead father, the prince had drawn his sword and thrust it at him with an angry cry. The High King had brandished his blade in retaliation, and the swords crossed viciously, blinding everyone. The flash disoriented me badly, and that was all it took until I lost my grip on the reins.

Ed caught my top half as I fell, yelling, "Stop it!" This was enough to stop the two head honchos from actually dueling. As Edmund half carried, half dragged me to the small courtyard where everyone had gathered, Ben sprinted over from inside the How, Lucy close behind. Ben helped Ed settle me on the ground, leaning me up against a crumbling pillar. Lucy had uncapped her diamond bottle and given me a dose, and I watched Pete shoot Caspian a look before he joined us, Caspian heading inside.

Slowly, I came back from the bleary comfort zone I had been stuck in to the real world, all of my family's faces coming into view. As soon as my cut had healed, I struggled up and gripped Ben in a crushing embrace, him pressing on me just as hard. "Ben…Ben…" I whispered, glad that I had survived. I brought an arm around to Lucy, and eventually the whole family was in a hug, heads bowed. I heard dry sobs, but I didn't know from whom. I had been an inch from death; only Lu's cordial and my family's love had revived me.

Once I was fully healed, everyone helped me up, as if I were a doll. Peter held me against him, like that first day in the train station after we were attacked by those bozos. I gratefully accepted his support, his strong arms holding me up. I gave a few ragged breaths, regretful that I nearly let myself leave him, Ben, Sue, Ed, and Lu.

"I'll never let that happen to you again, I swear," Peter said, rueful.

"It was my own fault," I replied, now able to stand without help and think clearly. I was all better. I looked away, ashamed- this battle was one of the worst times to fail. And I did.

"No, it was mine," Pete countered. "We should have sent someone else in with you."

"The point is," Ed said, "you're alive. And that we'll have to be more careful next time."

"Your Majesties," Trumpkin grunted, standing near the entrance of the How, "that time may be now."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8-Old Foes and Older Fears

All six of us were running through the halls of the How, searching for Caspian. Everyone had their weapons held at the ready. We burst into the chamber the Stone Table was held in to confront a terrible sight.

Caspian stood in a dirt circle, drawn on the floor. On either side of him were what looked like an old bird-hag and a werewolf. The hag planted a wand that looked like it was made of ice on the left edge of the circle. The werewolf had planted a black sword, the hilt made of pure stone, on the right. The prize for most alarming, though, was a tie. There was a thick, impenetrable-looking wall of ice in an arch, and inside it floated a sinister woman that I recognized as the White Witch. And pacing on the Stone Table, hovering a few inches above it, was a man with dark hair, mustache, and beard, but had milky-white eyeballs.

Trinian, the Shadowman of Narnia, was back.

At once, everyone rushed into action. Out of nowhere, Nikabrik, Trumpkin's dwarf friend, hurtled toward Lucy, and Trumpkin attempted to fight him off. Ed was dueling with the werewolf, Ben had the hag, Sue helped Lucy up, and Pete pushed Caspian out of the circle. I raised my loaded bow and squared off with Trinian.

"Look at this!" cackled the Shadowman. "The Warrior Queen thinks she can do it again! Dear, how do you expect to defeat something that you can't even touch?"

Suddenly, he dissipated into mist, reappearing at the other side of the room. I ran at him, giving a war cry, when he did something that stopped me short.

He transformed into Ben.

"Sophie?" he said, in my brother's voice. "What are you doing? Are you going to hurt me?"

He morphed into Lucy. "Sophie, why would you do this? We're your friends!"

Edmund. "Some queen you are, killing your family like this. We loved you, and you betrayed us."

Susan. "How could you? We loved you, ruled alongside you, celebrated with you! We did everything for you, and you're turning against us!"

Peter. "We were your family, and you went against us. Get out of my sight. I never want to see you again."

By the time he morphed back into Ben, I was in tears. He said disgustedly, "You're no friend. You're no sister. You're no queen. You're no Narnian."

I couldn't do anything. I fell to my knees, horrorstricken. I knew this was the Shadowman, but I just couldn't strike the faces of my best friends. He now spun in a circle around me, faces flashing from Ben, to Ed, to Pete, to Lu, to Sue. I was helpless. This would kill me.

Suddenly, a bright flash of silver erupted right between Sue's eyes, and the Shadowman screamed, the face splitting in two. I saw my brother wielding one of his silver swords, the other dangling by his other hand. The mist reformed into Trinian, back against the wall. I watched from my weak position on the floor as Ben ran toward the Shadowman, swinging his sword viciously. As Trinian cowered by the wall, Ben ran forward and lopped the Shadowman's head off.

The Shadowman let out a bloodcurdling scream as he dissipated into black mist, which eventually dissolved into nothingness. I was still on the floor, and when Ben came to help me up, I pulled him down and gave him a desperate hug, and we stayed there for several seconds, until we heard a great crash. We looked to the source of the commotion: Edmund had stabbed the ice wall from behind, and it had shattered, leaving Peter and Caspian standing dumbfounded. I pulled Ben closer to me, needing support only he could give.

Ever since my father died, it was just us two for the longest time. We talked all the time, never fought, relied on each other, remained solid…we were closer than any brother and sister could be. We had done everything for each other, and now he had saved me from insanity. How could I repay him?

"It's alright," my brother soothed. "It's okay, none of it was real; we love you more than life. Don't worry. We know you'll never kill us. You're everything to us. We love you."

After a few seconds, we stood back up, still sticking together. Susan cast a disapproving look at Caspian and Peter and ran to help us, and from this I gathered that they were tempted by the White Witch. Susan met me in a hug and said, "That must have been terrible, seeing us denounce you like that."

"No kidding," Ed said, rushing over from the other side of the room and joining us. "And we know that you'll never try to kill us, Soph."

Lucy said nothing, only ran at us full tilt and plowed into the middle of our hug. By the time I finally stopped hugging someone, it was only Ben and I, and we left to go find the others. Ben thought Lu had gone to see Trumpkin, so he went to his room, and I went outside, needing some air.

I took a heavy breath, looking up at the sky and wondering how such a beautiful day could bring such sorrow from both battles. I spotted Peter sitting by a small stream that ran alongside the How, tossing pebbles in every once in a while. I walked over and sat by him in the shade of the trees, slipping off my shoes and letting my feet splash around in the water. It was like one of our old trysts, when we were just courting each other in the Golden Age.

"I was weak," Peter said, breaking the silence. "I shouldn't have considered her offer at all. Lucky Edmund was there- I think we would have brought her back to life."

"It's not your fault, you know," I said, enjoying the cool breeze. "She was a Witch; it's what Witches do. Plus, we had just gotten back from a battle that we, realistically, had no hope of winning. Of course you wanted a powerful ally. No one can blame you _or _Caspian."

"But how could I even let that happen? I fought her, she nearly killed Edmund, she kept Narnia freezing for a hundred years- I should have decimated the ice right away! You, at least, had the power to accept that the Shadowman for who he was."

I looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"You knew who he was, no matter what he was doing to you. For a minute, I almost thought of the White Witch as the Queen of Narnia."

I turned my body to face him, and our eyes met in an intense stare- he was angry, I was stern. Believe me, there's a difference. Finally, I said, "I didn't always think he was the Shadowman, you know. The same thing happened to me, too."

"You weren't tempted by him!"

"No, but I was weakened by him. For a minute, I thought it really _was _you guys throwing those insults at me. I couldn't do anything about it! He had me trapped!"

"You weren't getting tempted, you were only getting hurt."

"Think, Pete. Would you rather a friend's hatred or an enemy's love?" I turned away and faced the calm, trickling stream again. As I watched the cool water cascade down the worn stones and pool at the bottom of the miniature falls, I reached over and took his hand. "You know, you don't always have to shoulder responsibility. We're all Kings and Queens. Even Caspian, whether you want him to be or not."

"But I'm a High King; everyone looks to me for important decisions."

"Maybe," I said, tilting my head to the side, thinking. "But remember, you don't have to make _any_ important decisions without coming to one of us first. You have Ed, Caspian and Ben for legal decisions-" I scooted a little closer to him and turned my face up so our eyes met "-Lu and Sue for moral decisions-" I cracked a small smile as he turned an appreciative gaze on me, finally understanding that it wasn't his fault "-and me, for everything else."

His other hand came up to my face and held it as our lips met in the middle, softly pressing together. Once we separated, I gave him a warm smile and fell onto my back, so I was watching the clouds. Pete lay down beside me and I snuggled a little closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. We lay there watching the clouds, the beautiful, fluffy Narnian clouds drift by in silence for a few moments. It was then that Peter spoke.

"I think I've figured out why I've fallen so completely, truly, madly in love with you," he said, in a sort of dreamy voice. "And maybe why you've fallen completely, truly, madly in love with me."

"I didn't think there was any sole reason," I replied. "I just thought it happened."

"Well, it did _just _happen," he said. "But I think I realized how it happened so damn quickly."

"Well then, why?"

"We save each other from our own faults. You made me realize that it was the White Witch's fault that I was tempted."

I nodded, catching on. "Yeah. You helped me realize that I was valuable. All those years of being teased…and just, just someone pretending to be friends with me for a joke, and then just being tossed into the trash, never caring from the start…everyone saying that they loved me, that they considered me family just seemed too good to be true. I thought sooner or later, you'd all laugh and say you didn't care about me. It had happened before, but I don't think it will hurt me anymore."

"I can't believe we let all those Narnians die," Pete said ruefully. "It was a terrible plan."

"Peter, it was a really good plan," I said, "one of the best. The problem was that we just didn't have enough power. And I endorsed it, anyway. You can blame it on me, too.

"Now come on, it's nearly time for lunch, and seeing as you're about as much at peace as you're going to get, we should probably start eating."

With a laugh, Pete got up, hoisted me to my feet, and gave me a light kiss on the lips. Intertwined hands swinging between us, we made our way back to the How, considerably happier now that we've confessed to each other. We met the others already eating some fruits and veggies, and some of the bear meat Trumpkin had taken our first day back. Lunch was a bit subdued, but eventually everyone had accepted that the dead Narnians were because of the Telmarines, and we were able to recuperate somewhat from the losses. Just as we were finishing up, Trumpkin came up to us and said, "Your Majesties, you might need to see this!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9-It Begins

Trumpkin ushered us out to our Lookout, a small room near the top of the How that overlooked the huge field. We were met with something that completely threw us off our plans: legions and legions of Telmarine infantry, cavalry, and war machines, all marching to the same beat. They dominated the upper third of the battlefield, and I could barely distinguish one soldier from another. Their catapults- probably the same kind that destroyed Cair Paraval so many centuries ago- towered over even the How. I choked up a bit at the realization that one of our family might die today.

We quickly called a meeting at the Stone Table, trying to figure out what we should do. "That's your plan?" Trumpkin asked, incredulous. "Sending two little kids into the forest _alone?"_

Yes, you heard right. We were sending Ben and Lu to look for Aslan. We didn't want them near the battle. I knew Ben was an excellent fighter, but I couldn't risk his life in a battle so outweighed and desperate. Besides, if anyone was going to be able to find Aslan, it'll be those two.

"They've each proven themselves in battle, Trumpkin," I said, "and do you really think you have a better chance of finding Aslan than them?"

"And they won't be going alone," Susan said. "I'm coming with them. Sophie, you're needed here, you have to stay."

I looked to Ben, who nodded reassuringly, promising me he'll be safe. I solemnly nodded to everyone else then, and said, "Alright, there's no way we can fight all those troops outside and win. Any ideas?"

"I might have one," Caspian said, sitting on the stairs. "One that can buy King Benjamin and Queen Lucy some time, and might save Narnian lives."

I turned to him and said, "Well, what is it?"

I gripped my silver bow like there was no tomorrow, keeping a watchful eye over every Telmarine in the camp. I was walking beside Edmund and Kiervan through the Telmarine's war campsite, acting as couriers for a challenge to a duel. Between Miraz and Peter.

_"Peter, are you sure?" I asked, concerned. "This man killed his brother for the throne. He's going to resort to dirty tricks, I know it!"_

_"I know it, too, Sophie," he said, his hands loosely wrapped around my waist. I had my hands on his chest, and we stared at each other, free of distractions. We were in my chamber again, like we were before we had gone into battle the first time. Caspian and Dr. Cornelius were writing up a dueling challenge, that whoever won between Pete and Miraz won the duel, won the war. I was worried for Pete. But really, who isn't when they know their soul mate might die? "I know I'll be in danger, but I promise you that I'll be the one coming back to his wife."_

_My hands had gone up to his shoulders, and we held each other in a firm embrace. I said, "I swear, if you die, I am going to kill you."_

_"I love you, too."_

After Edmund had read the terms of the invitation, I added, "A duel to the death would really be in the best interest for both our armies."

"Oh, really?" Miraz said, in his Telmarine drawl. "Why do you say that? Our armies could crush you in a day, how does this look up for you?"

"Haven't you already underestimated our numbers?" Ed asked. "Barely a week ago, Narnians were extinct."

"And it works out for us," I said, "because when we beat you, we won't have to keep fighting."

_"When?" _Miraz asked, incredulous. "It's almost not worth signing this agreement. I could defeat King Peter in a minute! I don't even _want _to fight him!"

Edmund said, "So you're afraid to fight a swordsman _half_ your age?"

Miraz expression grew darker as his comrade, whom I knew to be Lord Glozelle, said, "I'd just like to point out that Your Majesty is at complete liberty to refuse."

"I'm not afraid!" Miraz snapped. He glared up at Ed, Kiervan, and I as he took a long, purple-feathered pen and dipped it in an inkwell. As I sent Ed a look of victory, Miraz said, "You should hope your brother's sword is sharper than his pen," as he signed the document with a flourish.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" I said, saddling Ben up.

"Me? You're the one in the actual battle! I'm just riding through the woods, for Aslan's sake! Literally!"

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Always keep your scabbards free, in case soldiers chase after you. Don't let Lucy or Susan out of your sight, and make sure you don't get lost. And also-"

"Sheesh!" Ben exclaimed, rolling his eyes and smiling. "You're not my mother! I can take care of myself, you know!"

"I'm the closest thing to a mother you've got here," I said humorously. "But alright, I trust you. Now, be careful!"

"Will do!" With a playful salute, Ben rode out just behind Lucy and Susan, leaving Caspian (who had helped saddle up the girls' horse) and me standing.

"Caspian?" I said, stepping toward him.

He turned to me and, with a bow, said, "Yes, my lady?"

"You don't need to bow to me anymore, you know," I said, and he stood fully upright. "Prince Caspian, it has been an honor collaborating with you. I shall never forget this battle. You will make a great king."

"Thank you, my queen. It has been a miracle to work with you, too. Your leadership and King Benjamin's strategy have been crucial factors in our success thus far. The Narnians shall forever revere your wisdom."

We shook hands, and I said, "Now let's go watch Peter kick Telmarine ass."

I tightened Peter's other arm brace, stopping only when he nodded his head. As I slipped his helmet on, he said, "I really hope I win this battle."

"So do I," I whispered, pulling the leather strap under his chin.

"If I lose, the Narnians…I would have let the Narnians down."

"Don't talk like that, Pete!" I held the sides of his helmet, forcing him to look only at me. "You're going to win. There's no way an old fossil like him can defeat a young lion like you."

"Thanks, love." As we hugged tightly, I whispered in his ear, "Besides, that same Narnian army won't let you die without a fight." We kissed longingly, hoping this wouldn't be our last.

When I opened my eyes, he was grim, but determined. Caspian handed him his sword, and he stalked toward the middle of the courtyard, ready to face King Miraz. I eyed Miraz warily; he obviously knew how to wield a sword. I knew Peter was competent enough to win this duel- but with Miraz's history, I was afraid he'd pull something Pete couldn't get out of.

I flinched every time Miraz struck Peter and grew a bit more hopeful whenever Peter struck Miraz. It was very evenly matched, even with Miraz's tricks. I yelped a bit when the Telmarine smashed Pete's shoulder, but cheered when Pete sliced his knee. Ed and I rushed into action as soon as they called a three-minute reprieve.

Ed and I were silent; tend to the wounds first, talk second. As I took off his helmet to get to a cut under his eye, Ed was working out his shoulder.

"I think it's dislocated," Pete said, grunting as Ed took off the armor.

"You've got him right where you want him, Peter," I said.

Pete was silent for a moment, thinking, when he said, "What do you think happens back on Earth if we die here?" Before I could say anything, Edmund chose that time to shove Pete's shoulder back into place.

"Save it for when we get back home," Ed ordered. I was just washing out Pete's cut as Ed turned to retrieve his brother's sword. I helped him stand- he was still sore- and gripped his hand as he raised his sword to the army, and the Narnians cheered so much my ears nearly bled. As the cheers swelled and swelled around us, Peter pulled me into him, and we fit together like puzzle pieces as our lips met sweetly.

"Don't forget me if I die," he said, staring into my eyes as his arm wrapped around my waist and my hand rested on his shoulder.

I smiled coyly. "You can bet Aslan on that."

I was about to slip on his helmet again, but he only shook his head and strutted back out to the field. Miraz turned his helmet away, too, I saw. My fingers were crossed in the folds of my armored dress- Sue and I both had special dresses, gifts of the dwarfs. They were made of a heavier material that was somehow still easy to move around in, and the dresses came with chest plates and a light chainmail shirt under it. It was a heavy dress, but I felt like I could take out an entire army in it. An entire Telmarine army, that is.

Both swordsmen fought even harder than last time, given new hope. You could see the fire in their eyes, how badly they wanted to win. When Peter eventually forced Miraz to one knee by punching his cut, I forgot to breathe I was so happy. I was also proud when he walked away from killing Miraz, like the true king he is. He walked to Ed, Caspian and I with relief written all over his face. I gave him a proud smile, which quickly vanished when I saw Miraz coming at Pete, sword raised.

_"Peter!" _I screamed, pointing behind him. I was about to dislodge my bow from over my shoulders when Pete turned around, used his armored gloves to take hold of the Telmarine's blade, twist it around, and shove it under Miraz's chest armor and into his breast. The evil king adopted a look of horror on his face, so much like when I plunged my bow into the Shadowman's stomach, and he stood still as Pete slid the blade out of him.

Miraz dropped to his knees and hung his head as Pete picked up his own sword from where he lost it earlier and aimed it at Miraz's head. Grunting painfully, Miraz said, "What, too cowardly to take a life?"

My boyfriend held the sword for a minute, then said, almost too quiet to hear, "It's not mine to take." He lowered the sword, glared at Miraz for a moment more, then turned and offered the hilt to Caspian; much like Caspian offered it to Pete the first day they met.

Caspian took the sword with a look of surprise and gratitude, nodding slightly to us. As he walked out to the courtyard and stood over his uncle, Pete gingerly wrapped an arm around my middle; his shoulder was still a little sore. Miraz smirked as Caspian approached.

As Caspian aimed the point of the sword at his uncle's throat, Miraz said, "Maybe you are a Telmarine after all."

Caspian gave a loud, angry cry, resounding over the entire field. Caspian's arm drew back—he would deliver the final blow—but he shoves it in the grass?

"Not one like you," he said venomously. "I'm giving the Narnians back their country."

And he walked away. I gave him a proud smile. He wouldn't be like his uncle; he'd definitely be like his father.

Miraz stood, hunched over, and limped to Lord Glozelle, his second. I was giving Caspian a hug when I peered over his shoulder and saw Miraz, lying dead on the ground, and arrow in his side. A Narnian arrow. _My _Narnian arrow.

"Treachery!" Glozelle exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at the general direction of the Narnian army, and then zeroing in on me. "See the silver arrow? She shot him!" I gaped at him, eyebrows furrowed. How dare he accuse me of shooting his leader? My silver bow hadn't even moved from my back!

"To arms, Telmar!" screamed Glozelle, now facing his own comrades. They gave a mighty war cry, brandishing their weapons. I saw confusion, fear, and determination chase each other over Pete's face, who took his arm from around me and faced the Narnians. He raised his sword to the army and said, "Narnia! Prepare for battle!" Their cry echoed through the entire field. I was proud.

"Sophie," Pete whispered. He pulled me close to him, and he said, "I need you on the ledge with the archers." He gave me one of the most loving, serious gazes I had ever seen, though I was getting angry.

"Peter," I countered, "I'm an excellent fighter. I can parry as well as I can shoot."

"I know, Soph," he said, closing his eyes in…guilt? "I know you're a fantastic warrior. But the problem is the Telmarines."

"What about them, Peter?" I asked, an edge creeping into my voice.

"They're dangerous."

"You think I don't know that?!"

"Sophie, it's just…this is the riskiest, most unfavorable battle we're carrying out. You'll still be part of it, but…I can't lose you. I need you further away from the danger. Plus, you're a better shot than any of us. You'd be the most useful with the archers."

I was torn. I was touched that he was concerned for my safety, but I wanted so badly to avenge the Narnians- which meant I would need to be on the front line. But I had to put my vengeance beside me- my best skills lie with the bow and arrow.

I turned and watched Caspian gallop away on Balter- if a battle broke out, he was supposed to look for Lu, Sue, and Ben, and make sure they were safe. That made me realize something: if Caspian was going to sacrifice his vengeance to make sure my own brother was safe, maybe I should, too.

"Alright," I said, turning back to Peter. "I'll go to the ledge. But if we charge Pete, then I'm going to be at your side, so Aslan help me."

He said, nothing, just pulled me into a kiss. He gripped my arms as I set my hands on his chest. When we were two entities again, I nodded, then took off running for the archers.

I gave him one last look and began climbing.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10- Aslan is back!

Ben

"Lu, this way!" I yelled. Lucy ruefully tore her eyes away from her sister, who had to stay behind to take down the Telmarines chasing us. She turned the black horse Destrier's reins away and followed me as I led her through the forest. She caught up to me, and I took her hand, in a gesture to try and calm her. But I needed it as much as she.

We had been riding through the forest all morning, searching for Aslan. We've had no luck so far, and we had unfortunately gained a tail. I was riding a horse named Eurania, who had very happily agreed to take me. Lucy and I galloped through the forest, searching for a hint or a clue.

Suddenly, we detected a third party behind us. I turned to see one last Telmarine following us, and I let go of Lu to try and free one of my swords. She saw them, too, and we pushed our horses a little faster, trying to evade them. I was about to unsheathe my left blade when we saw a golden figure on a flat boulder rise up in front of us and roar something loud. Destrier and Eurania reared, dropped us, and galloped away, terrified, as the Telmarine came up behind us. Suddenly, the great golden beast lunged above us and took down our follower, and Lu and I rose as the Telmarine soldier was torn apart, awed.

"Aslan!" we exclaimed, running for the lion and tackling him in a bear hug. He gave a hearty laugh as we fell into a pile, hugging and giggling.

Aslan was back.

Aslan

Sophie

"Susan!" I screamed, lunging for her hand. She yelled as the flying rock destabilized the ground beneath her and fell, and I grabbed her hand quick before she hit the ground. She swayed back and forth for a few life-long moments, until I let her drop to a small ledge a few feet below. Not allowing myself to leave one soldier alone, I dropped next to her and said, "Don't do that again."

She chuckled humorlessly. "I'll try not to. There's no way we can get any range from here because of the trees- we might be able to hit someone on the ground, though."

I smirked viciously. "So you're saying the only way we can do any good is if we're in the thick of it?"

"Exactly."

"Shall we?"

"We shall." We exchanged a look that said it all- that we would be the best of friends if we survived, that we were the best of friends if we didn't, and that we were near sisters, and that status would endure until the end of time. We took hands, glanced at each other one more moment, and jumped.

We hit the ground together, sharp pain exploding in my ankles. I looked around, found the first Telmarine I saw, and let a silver arrow fly straight into his heart. He barely saw it coming.

"Let's go!" I yelled over the ruckus. Susan deferred to me and began following me, and it was then that I truly was Warrior Queen Sophie the Strong once again. She and I fought our way through cluster after cluster of people, occasionally gathering a minor wound or two. Susan had received a scratch under her eye; I had blood trickling out the side of my mouth. Just as I cut the artery of a Telmarine with my bow tip, a sword thwacked against my shoulder, giving me a bruise. I turned around to see the Telmarine I had shot in the arm our very first day back, grinning at me with a maddened look.

"Isn't this ironic?" he said, his eye twitching a bit. "I hope you're ready to atone for what you've done, for I'm eager to get my vengeance."

"For what?" I screamed over the noise while loading my bow. "I hit you in the arm! It's not like I killed your family!"

"No, you may not have," he said, coming closer. I took one step back whenever he took a step forward. "But you shamed me in King Miraz's court. You're simply a stupid, weak girl! That should not have happened! I'm here for atonement!"

I fired the arrow into his shoulder, losing all restraint when he called me a "stupid, weak girl." My title is _Warrior Queen, _after all. What did he expect? He ripped it out of his shoulder and charged at me, giving an impressive war cry. We dueled up and down the field, neither opponent willing to give way. When he thrust, I dodged. When I slashed, he leaned. He was pushing me up the field, closer to the main throng, when I tripped over a dead body. My back arched over my quiver, and my bow landed just a few centimeters away from my hand. The Telmarine warrior stood over me, grinning madly and raising his sword, when the small tip of a blade protruded from his chest, and his demented smile was replaced with a vacant expression. The tip retreated, and as the Telmarine fell to the side, a smaller figure took his place, hunched over and ready to strike again.

"Edmund!" I exclaimed, climbing to my feet and hugging him gratefully. He returned the embrace, and I said, "Thank you so much! How can I repay you?"

Once we separated, he half-smirked and said, "By making sure Pete doesn't get into more trouble than he's bargained for."

"It's a deal. Now get out there and I better see you when this is over!" With an affectionate shoulder-shake, he darted back into the battle, and I looked for Sue: I lost sight of her when I battled the rogue Telmarine. On the way, I slaughtered more and more Telmarines, a vindictive happiness growing. The Narnians were my family, my kingdom- I wasn't going to let their deaths go without at least showing their murderers what they were up against and evening the score. If I had to kill a few people, so be it.

I was just pushing another enemy into the ravine Caspian's troops had created, which trapped and surrounded the Telmarines, when I saw something that made my heart stop: Peter dueling with an enemy soldier, nearly falling into the ditch. It took only a second for me to reach into my quiver, pull out an arrow, nock it into my bow, and pull back the bowstring, aiming directly for the two. But then I stopped: they were so close together, and with my distance and deadly aim, I could kill Peter.

Rolling my eyes and wondering _how _exactly the High King of Narnia had gotten himself into this predicament, I lowered my bow and began dodging this way and that to get a closer shot. I had a few close calls: a sword nearly went flying into my neck, and I sacrificed my loaded arrow to get a Telmarine out of the way. I was about ten yards from the grappling pair now, and I restrung my bow, took a breath to aim, and released the arrow, which flew straight through Pete's assailant's neck.

I could see Peter's shocked expression as the Telmarine inexplicably fell away. I had already begun running for him again, and he climbed out of his dangerous position to meet me.

"What in the name of Aslan are you doing?" he hollered after we had hugged like there was no tomorrow. He stared me worriedly in the eyes and said, "You're supposed to be up with the archers!"

I strung up an arrow but kept the bow dangling by my side, saying, "If I was still up on that ledge, you'd be dead right now, so I don't think you're in a position to argue."

Suddenly, a deafening roar sounded from within the earth it seemed, and great footsteps shook the ground. Everyone ceased fighting immediately: what had made that mighty roar?

The man Caspian had been struggling with in the ravine froze for a minute, until a huge, vine-like…_thing _shot out of the wall of dirt, wrapped itself around his middle, and pull him against the wall, knocking him out. The vine thing retreated, and as I watched huge flocks of birds sweep across the sky, the answer came to me.

"Trees! The trees are alive!" I exclaimed as Peter pulled Caspian up, and together we watched as the great trees traversed their way across the battlefield majestically, shooting out their roots and crushing the enemy's war machines beneath them. I cheered for the trees, the creatures that had been asleep for so long- if there was any time to wake them up, it was now.

Pete and I looked at each other and kissed: the battle was finally turning up. We separated, and Ed and Sue had rejoined us: Ed had sustained a scratch on the cheek, and Sue had a bruise on her forearm. And so the five of us stood in a line, watching the trees wake up at last. We glanced at each other, making sure we weren't dreaming, and then Pete raised his sword, took my hand, and yelled, "For Narnia!"

The five of us led the charge, side by side, ready to take Narnia back.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11- Righteous Redemption

The Narnians' thundering footsteps echoed around the field as they followed us, forcing the Telmarines to the river. They began cramming onto their wooden bridge, the one we had seen them making our first day back. When the bridge became too crowded, some of the soldiers began wading through the river. Suddenly, the Telmarines halted, and when the Narnian army stopped short, the five of us were at the perfect vantage point to watch what was going on at the other riverbank: Ben and Lucy were standing there, totally weaponless.

Nothing but the wind moved. Slowly, as if not wanting to startle a scared cat, Lucy drew her dagger and Ben carefully pulled his swords out at the same time. There was no way these two kids could possibly fight a ruthless army, but they exuded so much confidence and authority that the Telmarines seemed to doubt themselves. Behind them, out of the forest, drew a great lion, his golden mane flowing in the wind. He came beside my brother and sister-in-law, and they smiled at him like he was an old friend. My eyes widened: it was Aslan.

Glozelle, apparently unsettled, rode further along the bridge, giving a war cry. In protest, Aslan roared, echoing to the edges of Narnia. Suddenly, the water under the bridge began eddying at the river mouth, gathering up into a tall tower. We watched in amazement as the tower morphed and warped into a man: the Chief of the Naiads. He rushed at the bridge like a tidal wave, Telmarines hurriedly evacuating back to our side. As we held our weapons to them, the Chief tore the bridge from the riverbanks, lifting Glozelle and his horse up to his face with watery fingers. With a great crash, the Chief collapsed onto Glozelle, water jumping up and misting us. Glozelle was nowhere to be found.

Peter's fingers interlaced mine as we trudged across the river, relieved. The Narnians had their country back! We were Kings and Queens again! As the five of us reached the opposite riverbank, Ben, Lu, and Aslan met us silently. After a moment of heavy breathing, Pete, Ed, Sue, Caspian, and I dropped to our knees: if there was one person we were going to bow to, it would be the person that crowned us in the first place.

Aslan's deep voice said, "Rise, Kings and Queens of Narnia."

The riverbed gravel crunched beneath our feet as we all stood, or rather, most of us stood: Caspian was still in a bow.

"All of you," Aslan added.

Caspian looked up at him and said, "I do not think I am ready."

"It is for that reason I know you are," Aslan said.

Caspian reluctantly stood, and I said, "Don't worry, you get used to it."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12- Kings and Queens, Forevermore

Pete, Sue, Ed, Lu, Ben, and I stood side by side, on the east balcony. All of our comrades-in-arms stood across from us, Caspian the most forward.

"What if it's going to lead us to our death!" one Telmarine exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. Aslan was offering a way for them to not live in a place with talking animals and he was suspicious. Typical.

It was the week after the battle of the How. We've been at the Telmarine castle, recovering and reuniting with friends and family. Aslan was offering to take the Telmarines (who turned out to actually be from Earth anyway) back to the island their ancestors originally crashed at. If I were hateful Telmarine, I would have taken that offer.

"If it pleases the court," Reepicheep piped up, "I will take eleven mice through without delay."

"No," I said, stepping forward. "But we'll go."

"We will?" Lucy asked sadly.

"Come on," Pete answered. "Our time's up. We have to go." He approached Caspian, unbuckled his sword, and handed it to the new king.

Caspian accepted it, honored. "Thank you, my king. I shall guard it until you return."

"That's just it," Sue said, walking up next to her brother. "We're not coming back."

"We- we're not?" Ben asked. He looked heartbroken, and I almost wanted to cry at how sad he looked.

"You are," I said, wrapping an arm around my brother. "Only Pete, Sue, and I can't come back. We're too grown up."

"Your brother and sisters have learned all they could from this world," Aslan said in his majestic voice- one I would never hear again. "Now they must live in their own."

"Best we say our goodbyes," I said, and we walked over to our friends. I approached Saberius, giving him a rub behind the ears.

"Thanks for everything," I said, a few tears falling on his fur.

"I am honored, My Queen, to have met you," he said. "I will make sure you are remembered."

"Thank you, Saberius," I said. I gave him a hug, and by the time we separated, Susan ended up making out with Caspian in front of just about the whole population.

"I'm sure when I'm older I'll understand," Lucy said, watching her sister, confused.

"I'm older and I don't think I want to understand," Ed said beside her.

And then we lined up, waved goodbye, and stepped through the portal back to our world.

"Nothing's changed," I said, looking around the station that still teemed with life.

"Yet, nothing's stayed the same," Ben said. Count on him to be philosophical at the drop of a hat.

We gathered our luggage and boarded the train in silence, still not quite done reliving what we had accomplished.

"Didn't see any of that coming," I said as the train began moving.

"Oh no!" Ed said, rifling through his bag. "I've left my new torch in Narnia!"

We all began laughing as the train sped up, and I could have sworn a lion roared as it did.

While I'm going to miss Narnia, I'm glad I found it. There, Ben and I found glory, love, respect, freedom. That may have been my last visit, but I will keep living in Narnia. At least, my heart will.

Long Live Aslan!


End file.
